Lebanon 2023

Initial VET in Lebanon is considered more accessible than continuing VET, as programmes are available in both rural and urban areas. However, despite sufficient capacity VET struggles with a negative reputation, particularly among parents, who often view it as less valuable than academic education and as a track for low-performing students or those at risk of dropping out.

Continuing VET is still underdeveloped. It is available in only a few municipalities and through some employers, but these efforts remain limited in both funding and scope. Before the financial crisis, employers contributed to funding CVET programmes, though they often saw it as a burden. Beyond VET, opportunities for lifelong learning are even more limited. For instance, Active Labour Market Programmes (ALMPs) are still unavailable in Lebanon. The New Entrants to Work (NEW) programme, aimed at addressing this gap, has faced delays and is yet to be implemented.

VET students in Lebanon have some flexibility to change pathways, but switching between tracks is not always easy. While IVET and CVET graduates can go on to university, they cannot easily move between vocational and general education. The system also lacks options for students to move between regular classroom education and more flexible, less structured learning programmes, such as those offered by employers or private providers. This creates barriers for those who might want to combine practical training on the job with more formal education or switch between the two.

Despite these challenges, students enrolled in VET are as likely to progress and graduate as their peers in other countries. However, the lack of remedial teaching and drop-out prevention programmes in public vocational schools means some students do not receive the support they need to succeed. Expanding these programmes, particularly in the public sector, could improve student outcomes.

Lebanese students in VET perform significantly below international averages in reading, science, and mathematics. They are behind their peers in other countries by three to four years in these areas of assessment of learning. According to OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), around two-thirds of students in Lebanon do not reach basic proficiency levels. This puts them at risk of exclusion from further education and, later on, from the workforce.

The learning outcomes of students in Lebanon are heavily influenced by their socioeconomic background. Students from wealthier backgrounds and those attending private schools benefit from better resources and support, which leads to better academic performance. In contrast, vocational education attracts many low-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly in public VET schools and rural areas, where resources are limited. These students often struggle to improve during their time in VET, as the system fails to address their learning gaps. As a result, they perform worse and enter the workforce with skills that do not meet job market demands, creating a cycle of disadvantage.

Adult learners also need improvements in key areas such as foreign language proficiency (English and French), problem-solving, soft skills, and technological abilities. While adult education performs somewhat better in delivering key skills and competencies compared to other areas, it still falls short of needs and expectations.

VET programmes in Lebanon offer limited opportunities for work-based learning. This reduces the relevance of the training to real-world job requirements and weakens the practical value for students. This issue is compounded by gender influences on study choices. This shortcoming is further compounded by gender imbalances in the choices of students. For instance, male students often enter fields like mechanics while female students are more likely to pursue nursing. This lack of balance limits the career options for both genders. Despite these challenges, career guidance services are relatively strong and provide valuable support to students, helping them navigate career options and better understand potential pathways in the labour market.

Lebanon’s VET system is making progress in integrating environmental themes into the VET programmes, but efforts to incorporate digital skills into the curriculum are still ongoing. The VET system tends to respond more to immediate labour market needs rather than preparing for future demands, though efforts to improve adaptability and responsiveness are underway.

Lebanon faces challenges in collecting and using data to monitor its VET system, but it performs better in this area than many other countries in the Torino Process. However, the availability of data is uneven, which limits its use in informing certain areas of policy and system operations. Addressing these challenges requires not only better data collection but also stronger leadership in VET schools, which is an area of weaker results too. Enhancing the skills of principals and other decisionmakers in VET would help them use data more effectively and improve the overall management and quality in the system.

External stakeholders play a significant role in managing Lebanon’s VET system, contributing to its overall effectiveness. Their involvement has been crucial in the development of the National Vocational Strategic Framework, although it has yet to be officially launched. The VET system also performs better than VET in many other countries in ensuring that programmes meet certain standards and are transparent about their results. These processes help build trust in the system by making sure that the education provided is reliable and meets the needs of students and employers.

On the downside, VET practitioners and schools in Lebanon have limited international exposure. There are few opportunities for students and teachers to participate in exchange programmes or learn from global peers. This is an area where the country could benefit from increased cooperation and learning from international experiences. 

The allocation of financial resources for VET is solid, but inefficiencies remain in turning these funds into improved infrastructure and learning materials. The ongoing financial crisis has worsened existing shortages of training materials and outdated infrastructure. Lebanon’s VET providers need better facilities, equipment, and modernised educational resources. While human resources are managed relatively well, there is an urgent need for investment to improve the working conditions of teachers and trainers.